Job Discussion Forums

[halkun]

I'm going to be graduating in December with a bachelors in business. After investing a few tens of thousands of dollars into this new fangled diploma, how does one start on a path to get employed in a Japanese firm, (or a U.S. firm in Japan).

Now, this isn't some grandiose plan because I've been watching too much Genshiken. I lived there before from 1992-1996. I was under a SOFA visa. (Technically speaking, SOFA isn't really a visa, it just means you can live in Japan visaless, and the U.S. occupation forces CYA if you do something stupid.) I also speak heavy conversational Japanese. (日本語をできます。) However it's atrophied somewhat as it's been 10 years since I've spoken it "Live". An issue with my language is that I don't really know what "fluent" means. ^_^ I'm not certified with a paper that says I can speak it, other than the 3 years of Japanese I took when I came back to the states. I pretty much spend my time translating trashy Japanese novels and subbing music concerts/videos for my friend's 15 year old daughter. (The trashy novels are for myself, the girl in question is an Ayumi Hamasaki fan)

My plan was to go to a NOVA recruiter down in Chicago and serve a year of indentured servitude. That's not really an attractive option, but if push came to shove, I could take a year off of life just to get the working visa. I'm already 32, what's another year...

Asking on this board is just a fragment of the research I'm doing. I've gotten contacts from my schools job placement program. I'm also looking at various other job placement avenues online and slowly collecting up a contact database to start networking. For example I have the address of a Japanese alumni who has graduated from this school and has since started a business in Japan as a sporting goods importer. I've also had some email addresses to K-12 English schools in Japan. However, I'm not really set on English teaching as a career. I'm more interested in the business side of media. A dream job would be working for Nippi (Nippon Hikouki Kaisha)-日本飛行機会社- which were contracted by Atusgi base to to low-level maintenance on U.S. military aircraft. When I was in the Navy myself, I was an avionics tech. (As a civilian, went onto computer support, hydraulic systems, and now I have my business degree)

I do have the veteran thing going for me, which makes me eligible for military base jobs. It would be so nice to be under SOFA again. Anyone here able to "hop the fence" as it were and get a base job?

Does anyone have any advice on where to start looking, have any stories or contacts? I'm guessing I'm in a pretty unique situation with the veteran background. I would like to hang my hat in Japan again. It would be nice to make a career out of it.

Any advice?

[Like a Rolling Stone]

Well hot dang by George you can hop the fence as it were or skip the seas and hang your hat on the land of the rising sun. No idea what your talking about but good luck!

[canuck]

Pursue what you want to do. Don't bother with NOVA.

[kdynamic]

[halkun]

Actually, This is the extent of my Japanese.

(I translated/subbed the whole DVD myself, it's the second full concert I've done)

It's not business Japanese, but it's not "Watashi wa halkun desu" either...

[TokyoLiz]

Considering your fluency in Japanese, your easy in through the military, and job contacts for teaching, I'd say give the eikaiwas and miss and go for the other options. Eikaiwa jobs often mean working into the evenings and on weekends, precluding social stuff, and you may find the work situation precludes using Japanese language with anybody during the day. Eikaiwa=English bubble.

I work in Kanagawa and occasionally meet people in the US service. The bases have events that mix foreign and local, military and civilian people. You'd be able to network, I'm guessing.

If you like kids, and you're up for a year of adventure, there are a variety of jobs in k-12. I've taught lit and composition, advanced ESL literacy, and EFL to junior and senior high kids, and fun English classes for elementary students. I find that my Japanese language skills are put to good use to keep positive relationships with administrators, teachers, parents and sometimes kids. My job is fun because I get to play with kids, teach them a subject class or a language lab, and use my Japanese cultural and language skills. How cool is that?

It sounds like you've got a portfolio for translation. That might be an angle, too, for side projects.

Just ideas. Make of it what you will.

[shuize]

[kdynamic]

Yes, that was my point. I am not trying to bring you down, halkun! I think it's great that you have a foundation of Japanese to start you off. I think if you came here and studied hard you could join an all Japanese working environment after a couple years - or even just one year if you studied full time. Otherwise, as I said, exploit your contacts and get the best job you can that doesn't require business-level Japanese, or do the eikaiwa thing until you're ready to make the jump. Eikaiwa is an easy stepping stone because it gets you a visa, a place to live, and cash flow right away. It's very hard to find a job in Japan outside of the big eikaiwa companies from abroad. You could come here and job hunt while working, and if you find something good you could put in your notice and change over.

I just want you to be realistic about the Japanese level required for any job at a normal Japanese company or in translating, etc. I have no doubt you could get to that level if that's what you wanted, so I say ganbatte!!

[PAULH]

[Zzonkmiles]

Why would the original poster even feel the need to type in Japanese on this particular forum anyway? He said in English that "he can speak conversational Japanese," but somehow felt the need to attempt to write that in Japanese as if we couldn't understand his English. It comes across as bragging or showing off, even though it may have been unintentional.

*sigh*

Anyway, the main thing is that the OP has a bachelor's degree. I'd personally play down the military service aspect for the simple fact that the US military is not highly regarded by the Japanese here, especially in Okinawa. Most people come to Japan via the conversation school route (NOVA, AEON, ECC, GEOS, etc.) and then trade up from there.

Also, after you arrive, keep in mind that jobs will be harder to find and won't pay as well if you plan on working near a US military base. Lots of soldiers' wives teach English to the locals in their spare time for next to nothing.

[halkun]

Wow, one typeo and I'm beaten to death :P

It's been a while so my grammar went to pot in the ten years I've been back in the states. I mostly speak by what "sounds right" and so my typing suffers a little.

I almost nail wa/ga by ear, subject/verb agreement vs. object/verb agreement threw me for a loop. I haven't dusted that part of my brain off in a while. I'm used to going in the other direction Japanese -> English and not so much English -> Japanese.

I found a Japanese company here in my city (Hospira, was sold to an osaka firm after breaking off of Abott labs) and the HR girl in in my class (Yay) I fed her some contact info as they are looking for a tech support guy. I'll see how that turns out,

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EDIT
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As an add-on, the military options look good, but only available in windows (Applications only accepted from 8/22 to 9/1 for example) I still have to stick around here in the states before I get my degree in december...

[PAULH]

[MrCAPiTUL]

With a BS in Business and your J ability, one strategy may be to apply to American firms that conduct business in Japan. Utilize your Career Resource Center and see if you can get an assignment overseas, or at least working states-side in their international group. That may not be what you want upfront, but it could set you up to be where you want to be. Being that you aren't fluent in a business sense, that would seem like your best bet. Get sent over with an American firm. Also, consider taking the JLPT. At least you could list that on your resume, as well, when applying to J companies (though, I'd only list it if you do well on it).

One other note worthy of mention - consider a job with the US Federal Government. They have positions, which could utilize your skills PLUS you will get veteren's preference in most cases.